Plumbing fixture and console



p 24, 1968 J. N. KAIsER 3,402,406

PLUMBING FIXTURE AND CONSOLE Filed March 30; 1966 6D \fl m EU T [52 a .9 m g O INVENTOR dock N.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,402,406 PLUMBING FIXTURE AND CONSOLE Jack N. Kaiser, Louisville, Ky., assignor to American Standard Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,811 14 Claims. (Cl. 4-192) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a plumbing fixture, such as a kitchen sink, which has a sump section, a raised section and a console member. The sump section has walls which may define one or more bowls. The upper periphery of the walls is in the form of a ledge. The raised section includes other walls extending upwardly with respect to the ledge to form a hollow open structure. The console member is mounted over the open structure and is provided with a plurality of compartments each of which may house an accessory, or each compartment may be used for storage.

The present invention relates to a novel plumbing fixture and more particularly, to a sink structure and console member which accommodates a variety of accessories.

Although kitchen sinks have been in use for hundreds of years, their basic functional designs have not changed substantially. This is despite the fact that sinks at present have many inherent problems. For example, at present, sinks are made with openings for a variety of fittings such as a lotion or soap disposer, water faucets, spray, etc. It is necessary to stock sinks with the proper number of openings corresponding to the number of accessories to be used. The need for a factory-made opening for each accessory limits flexibility in the selection of accessories, since cost factors preclude the manufacture of other than the most popular items. Since it is virtually impossible for a homeowner to add one or more accessories to a sink in his home without actually changing the sink, the homeowner cannot modify the sink to suit changing demands.

Surveys have shown that, while many of the functions to be performed by a sink were agreed upon by most women, other functions were very important to many homeowners, but not desired by others. Not only did their wants and needs vary, but also many were looking for a certain degree of individuality and did not want their kitchens to look just like everyone elses.

The use of a large removable ceramic or metal escutcheon which is replaceable, would appear to offer an alternative to the replacement of an entire sink. However, this does not readily lend itself to commercial application. It is necessary that the movable member meet the consumers aesthetic demands and, among other things, that it does not result in a structure which has dirt harboring crevices, or cracks throughout which water can readily leak, and that it is structually strong enough to serve the purpose for which it is intended and be economical. The use of a removable member which covers a large opening in the top surface of a sink has not met with commercial success because of a failure to overcome the aforementioned problems.

It has now been found, that a solution to the foregoing problems can be achieved through the use of a sink having a raised section, in the form of an open topped pylon, in combination with a console member capable of housing any desired number or combination of accessories.

In accordance with the present invention, a plumbing fixture, such as a kitchen sink, is provided, having a sump section, a raised section and a console member. The sump section has walls constituting oneor more bowls, the upper periphery of which forms a ledge. The raised section ice includes walls extending upwardly with respect to the ledge and which form a hollow, open structure. The console member is provided with a plurality of compartments, each of which can house an accessory, or be used for storage.

The objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood as the description of the invention proceeds, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings where like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout: the several drawings and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view which shows a pylon sink and console member in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, showing a pylon and console member, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view of a console member, and shows a water faucet structure.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the sink is provided with a vertically extending section 10. The section 10 is in the form of a truncated pyramid or pylon, and has an open upper end 12. The opening is closed by means of an escutcheon 14, which is supported by the upper edges of the pylon 10.

The walls of the pylon 10 must extend a considerable distance above the upper peripheral edge or ledge of the bowls of the sink, in order to remove the console member from the region in which water normally splashes.

FIGURE 1 shows a sink in which side wall of the pylon 10 is somewhat recessed with respect to the rear wall 16 of the adjacent bowl 70. The pylon, obviously, can be positioned in any desired manner and advantageously, the wall of the front of the pylon can be contiguous with the rear wall of the bowl. While FIGURE 1, for convenience shows the pylon positioned adjacent the shallow bowl 70 of a three bowl sink, it is apparent that the pylon can be used, also, with a one bowl sink as well as with two bowl sinks in which the bowls are unequally or equally deep as well as any other type sink.

The pylon 10 is employed as a base or support member for a compartmented cabinet or console member 60. The console is a highly functional, extremely convenient appliance which can include, for example, a storage compartment 62, for soap, brushes, or the like, liquid or powdered soap or detergent dispenser 64, a lotion dispenser 66, water faucet 68, water temperature and flow rate regulator 69, light 70 or an ice crusher as well as a water spray, switches and timers for a garbage disposal unit or other appliances.

The Water faucet 68 can consist of a movable section 82, rotatably secured to a fixed section by means of a cooperating nut 84 and O ring. The fixed, or nonmovable section 80 of the water faucet 68 can be employed to lock the console 60 on the pylon 10, in the same manner in which the water faucet is employed to lock the escutcheon in place as described in copending patent applications Ser. No. 538,759 and Ser. No. 538,- 810, filed of even date herewith and assigned to the same assignee, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein, by reference thereto.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the console 60 can be positioned in such a manner, in relation to the bowls 72 and 74, that end sections overhang the bowls. The aforementioned soap, detergent and lotion dispensers are most advantageously contained within end compartments so that all spillage will be confined to a region within a bowl and therefore readily flushed away.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A plumbing fixture comprising:

(a) at least one sump section, said sump section having walls, the upper periphery of said walls being formed into a ledge,

(b) a raised section, said raised section having walls extending upwardly with respect to said ledge, and forming a hollow, open pylon structure, and

(c) a console member, said console member being dimensioned and positioned so as to completely overhang and cover said open pylon structure, means rigidly and removably securing said console member in its position on top of said open pylon structure so that said open pylon structure will support said console member, said console member having a plurality of compartments therein.

2. The plumbing fixture of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of compartments houses a water faucet, said water faucet having a movable section and a section rigidly secured to said plumbing fixture, said rigidly secured section being at least partly contained within said one of said plurality of compartments, said movable section being movably secured to said rigidly secured section and being external of said one of said plurality of compartments.

3. The plumbing fixture of claim 2, wherein a second of said plurality of compartments houses a fluid flow rate and temperature regulator, said regulator having a control member positioned externally of said second of said plurality of compartments.

4. The plumbing fixture of claim 1, wherein said console member has at least one cantilever end extending beyond said raised section and overhanging a sump section.

5. The plumbing fixture of claim 4, further comprising a second compartment and a liquid dispenser housed within said second compartment, said dispenser having a discharge control means external of and adjacent to said second compartment, and a discharge outlet extend ing downwardly from said second compartment, said second compartment being in said cantilever end, whereby said liquid dispenser outlet is over a sump section and spillage from said outlet is confined to the sump.

6. The plumbing fixture of claim 4, wherein said fixture has three adjacent sump sections, the middle sump of said three sump sections being shallow as compared to the two outer sump sections, said raised section being positioned adjacent a rear wall of said middle sump section and having a length not substantially greater than the length of said rear wall.

7. The plumbing fixture of claim 6, wherein said raised section has a front wall section substantially contiguous with at least a portion of the rear wall of said middle sump.

8. The plumbing fixture of claim 2, wherein said console member has at least one cantilever end extending beyond said raised section and overhanging a sump section, a second compartment, and a liquid dispenser housed within said second compartment, said dispenser having a discharge means external of and adjacent to said second compartment, and a discharge outlet extending downwardly from said second compartment, said second compartment being in said cantilever end, whereby said liquid dispenser outlet is over a sump section and spillage from said outlet is confined to the sump.

9. The plumbing fixture of claim 3, wherein said fixture has three adjacent sump sections, the middle sump of said three sump sections being shallow as compared to the two outer sump sections, said raised section being positioned adjacent a rear wall of said middle sump and having a length not substantially greater than the length of said rear wall.

10. The plumbing fixture of claim 9, wherein said console member has at least one cantilever end extending beyond said raised section and overhanging a sump section.

11. The plumbing fixture of claim 10, further comprising a third compartment and a liquid dispenser housed Within said third compartment, said dispenser having a discharge control means external of and adjacent to said third compartment, and a discharge outlet extending downwardly from said third compartment, said third compartment being in said cantilever end, whereby said liquid dispenser outlet is over a sump section and spillage from said outlet is confined to the sump.

12. The plumbing fixture of claim 10, wherein said discharge control is positioned adjacent the front wall of said third compartment and said discharged outlet extends downwardly from the bottom wall of said third compartment.

13. The plumbing fixture of claim 5, wherein a third compartment houses a second liquid dispenser.

14. The plumbing fixture of claim 1, wherein said console member includes a light fixture containing section, and one of said plurality of compartments houses a control switch for turning the light fixture on and ofi.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,524,204 10/1950 OBrien 4187 2,550,539 4/1951 Earle 4-187 2,641,519 6/1953 McMahon 4-187 3,181,484 5/1965 Keppler 10850 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

